Performance evaluation and feasibility analysis of 10 kWp PV system for residential buildings in Saudi Arabia

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has begun to introduce a small-scale solar PV system that will significantly impact three key aspects of Saudi Arabia: energy cost, environment, and technology development. This paper aims to evaluate the performance and feasibility of a 10 kWp Photovoltaic system for housing buildings in various locations around Saudi Arabia. The performance of a 10 kWp Photovoltaic plant is first analyzed using Solargis PV Planner software to compare four types of PV modules based on their performance ratio and energy yield. Then, an economic analysis for installing PV systems for residential buildings in eleven main cities in Saudi Arabia is performed using PVsyst software with two electricity tariff scenarios. The simulated results indicate that the a-Si PV technology has the highest energy yield and performance ratio, and all types of PV modules have performance ratios greater than 75%. Furthermore, the results show that Tabuk city is the best location for installing a PV system for residential buildings. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is 0.027 $/kWh, and 330.88 tons of carbon dioxide (tCO2) reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per year. The first scenario has a net present value of $23626.1, while the second scenario has a net present value of $9633.6.